Bill > H3595

This bill establishes a new Juvenile Pretrial Diversion Court system in South Carolina designed to provide an alternative to traditional juvenile justice processing for first-time, nonviolent offenders. The legislation requires at least one juvenile pretrial diversion court in each judicial circuit, which will offer evidence-based, trauma-informed, and developmentally appropriate programs for eligible children without charging court or program fees. Law enforcement officers will be required to refer first-time nonviolent offenders to these diversion courts, using a department database to verify the child's lack of prior criminal history. The Department of Juvenile Justice will develop and fund predetention diversion programs that may include educational, mentoring, mental health, and behavioral health services. Children can participate in these programs for three to six months (potentially extended to twelve months) with the consent of the child and their parent or guardian. Upon successful completion, all charges will be dismissed and will not appear on the child's criminal record. If a child fails to meet program requirements, the original charge can be reinstated. The bill emphasizes keeping diversion program records separate from juvenile justice system records and requires programs to submit detailed data about participants to track program effectiveness and demographics.

Justice

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3595&session=126&summary=B